Chennai need to sustain the momentum: Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings had everything going against them before the Indian Premier League-7 kicked off, so much so, that their participation this season was in jeopardy thanks to the tribulations of their owner N Srinivasan.

Stephen Fleming

However, MS Dhoni & Co have ensured that off-field distractions have not hampered their progress even though coach Stephen Fleming admitted earlier that "off-field issues are adistraction".

CSK have so far lost only two of their eight matches, and both those losses came against Kings XI Punjab. As things stand, they are now marginally behind KXIP on the Net Run Rate.And they are keen to return to the top of the table with a win over Mumbai Indians today.

Staying calmSpeaking to reporters on the eve of the clash, Fleming said: "Our challenge is to maintain calm. Over the years we have done that well even when we were in a lot of trouble. T20 involves a lot of emotion. We have to maintain smart presence on the field."

Fleming said CSK are aiming to finish in the top two in the league. "It's crucial to go on a run and win six in a row which will put us in a very good position. We know the next three games are very important for us.

"All we are concentrating on is to sustain the momentum by winning tomorrow and maintain pressure on Rajasthan (Royals) and Sunrisers (Hyderabad). The table can change very quickly."